Purpose:
Learn about the history of our movement in order to rededicate ourselves to its core values and inform our ongoing work.
1 History of the Consumer/Survivor Movement
Sally Zinman
2 Introduction 1960s and 1970s social change movements Civil rights movement; African-American, women, gays, and people with physical disabilities organized For decades, mental patients were denied basic civil liberties and suffered systemic inhumane treatment
Spent lifetimes locked up in State hospitals. New laws limited involuntary commitment Now big State hospitals were shut down and people released
3 New Liberation Movement
Once released from the hospital people held groups Former “patients” shared anger about their abusive treatment Their peers validated their feelings. Expressed the need for independent living in the community A new civil rights movement was born from these isolated groups across the country Based on the desire for personal freedom and radical systemic change A liberation movement
4 1970’s
5 The Beginnings The 1970’s was a time Of finding each other Of realizing that we were not alone Of militant groups and actions Of self and group education Of defining our core values Of finding and growing our voice out of the anger and hurt bred by the oppression of the mental health system. Of separatism as a means of empowering ourselves.
6 Processes Groups autonomous, belief in local control
No money from mental health system
Separatist
No major outreach
7 Principles All within context of a civil rights movement for people diagnosed with mental illness, we were: Against Forced Treatment Against Inhumane Treatment – medications, ECT, lobotomy, seclusion and restraints Sanism Anti-Medical Model verging on anti-psychiatry Emergence of concept of mental patient run alternatives to mental health system and peer support Involvement in every aspect of mental health system
8 Activities Political militant activism – demonstrations Developing and defining values and positions Annual Conference on Human Rights and Against Psychiatric Oppression held at campgrounds, college campuses, unfunded Madness Network News –news vehicle for communication Small groups, mostly on two coasts Militant names, e.g., Network Against Psychiatric Assault, Insane Liberation Front, Mental Patient Liberation Front Most common self-description is as “psychiatric inmate.” Self and group information and education Support, consciousness raising groups
9 Landmark book published 1978:
On Our Own: Patient Controlled Alternatives to the Mental Health System
by Judi Chamberlin
10 Demonstration against the APA
11 Transitions in 1980s
Howie the Harp
12 Moving Forward The 1980s was a transitional time We made major movement decisions that left many of the more purist activists behind. We began the process of reentering the world that had so hurt us. It was a time that some significant founding endeavors ended, and new ventures began. There were indications that many of our goals were beginning to be realized, a transitioning from words to deeds, conceptualizing to implementing.
13 1980s Processes
Mainstreaming
Centralizing
Money from mental health system
Collaborations/ beginning Reentry
14 Activities Growth of mental health system funded consumer run and staffed/peer support programs, early drop-in centers 1983 On Our Own in Baltimore, Maryland 1985 Berkeley Drop-In Center, Berkeley CA 1985 Ruby Rogers Drop In Center Cambridge Mass. 1986 Oakland Independence Support Center, Oakland CA
Federal government, Community Support Program, NIMH, begins to fund consumer/survivor-run programs 1988 13 consumer run demonstration projects funded
Beginning of statewide consumer run organizations 1983, California Network of Mental Health Clients
15 More Shifts Discontinuation of Madness Network News and decline of radical militant groups of Conference on Human Rights and Against Psychiatric Oppression Many MH system funded trainings and conferences First national Alternatives Conference 1985 Rights Protection gains/legislation Growth of rights protection organizations Protection and Advocacy, Inc. Beginning to walk inside, social change from the inside as well as the outside More “clients”, “consumers” sitting on decision making bodies
16 17 Getting What We Wanted Fruition of changes that we had sought in the mental health system Basic values remain the same, we rephrase them Consumer/survivor- run programs, employment, and educational opportunities flourish Attitudes about recovery change
18 Principles The same principles as the earlier days expressed in positive rather than negative ways
Self Determination and Choice Rights protections Stigma and Discrimination reduction Services responding to multiple life needs of person: friends, housing, jobs, community. Self- Help/Peer Support programs Involvement in every aspect of mental health system “Nothing About Us Without Us”
Concept of Recovery – encompassing all of the above 19 Where We Have Come Employment, in addition to in consumer run programs In mental health system Consumer/survivors in MH management level jobs Offices of Consumer Affairs Big growth in consumer run/peer support programs with system funding Incorporation of consumer run/peer support into system, such as Recovery/Wellness Centers, peer support specialists, peer certification, and medi-cal funded peer support Peer Certification is implemented in 34 States
20 More Progress
Multiple training opportunities, including consumer developed trainings Meaningful consumer involvement at most levels of mental health system Consumer participation and partnership with other constituency mental health groups Research on consumer run programs/peer support, and emergence of consumer researchers Working with policy makers to legislate and otherwise change policy
21 More Progress Development of new consumer driven models such as peer run respite centers and self directed care. More diverse and inclusive consumer movement Creation of National Coalition for Mental Health Recovery, a national advocacy voice for consumer/survivors, and International Association of Peer Supporters that promotes the use of peer support services worldwide Effective advocacy from the inside
22 23 System Culture Change Evidence of system culture change as a result of consumer involvement at all levels of MH system. Consumer values embedded in California’s Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) Voluntary Promotion of self-help/peer support programs Involvement of consumers at all levels of MH system Involvement of consumers as part of and in training of MH workforce Promotion of recovery as a goal
24 System Culture Change Concept of Recovery inspired by and attributed to consumers Recovery replaces maintenance as the goal for people diagnosed with mental illness “We envision a future when everyone with a mental illness will recover.” Achieving the Promise: Transforming Mental Health Care in America, The President’s New freedom Commission on Mental Health, July 2003. Consumers have initiated new genres of services Consumer run programs and peer support are essential components of most mental health systems and designated best practices
25 Liberation Initial goal is to advocate for others Liberate others so they will not experience same abuse we did, so people who follow us will not have the same horrendous experiences that we did. Realize in the very process of advocating for others We are freeing ourselves Raising ourselves above internalized self-disparaging images Recreating ourselves in new empowered ways. Creating new people Redefining ourselves, individually and collectively Created new program genres Client-run drop-in centers and other client run programs Influential in development of supportive housing and recovery. Final understanding: we are also liberating the system Making it better for everyone that works in the mental health system, a liberating and healing environment for all.
26 The scope of our achievements of the past is an indicator of the possibilities for our future.
27 Acknowledgments and Contact Information
Thanks to the thousands and thousands of advocates who have and will continue to shape the consumer/survivor movement history. Contact: Sally Zinman, Executive Director California Association of Mental Health Peer Run Organizations (CAMHPRO) [email protected]
28 California Association of Mental Health Peer Run Organizations (CAMHPRO)
The California Association of Mental Health Peer Run Organizations (CAMHPRO) is a nonprofit statewide organization consisting of local consumer-run organizations and programs reaching the thousands of mental health consumers who participate in these programs.
Mission: transform communities and the mental health system to empower, support, and ensure the rights of consumers, eliminate stigma, and advance self- determination for all those affected by mental health issues by championing the work of consumer-run programs and organizations.
California Association of Mental Health Peer Run Organizations 870 Market Street, Suite 928, San Francisco CA
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